Dazzled
by keelhaulrose
Summary: He had hoped to find some help with a spell. He had no idea how the girl in the bookshop would affect him.


**I wrote this drabble for the Hermione's Nook 'Happy Birthday, Hermione' fest. The prompt was 'dazzle'.**

"...however if __I __were working this particular spell I would use this," Hermione said, placing a flask on the table.

Sam Winchester didn't look at the flask. He couldn't. His eyes were firmly on Hermione and refused to go anywhere else. Not that his brain was objecting.

"Mr. Winchester?" she asked cautiously.

"Hmm?" he muttered, then realized she was wanting his attention.

"Have you heard anything I've said in the last five minutes?" she asked, but she had a smile on her face and a hint of color high on her cheeks.

__Damn, __he thought to himself. __It's hard enough to pay attention with her voice, does she have to __LOOK __so damn pretty, too? __He had found Hermione through the network of hunters, who strongly suspected there was something more to the somewhat eccentric bookshop owner, but her knowledge was too valuable for any of them to truly try to pry. Those who had spent time with her agreed on only one thing: The girl could dazzle anyone with her knowledge of the occult, monsters, and even ancient runes. And they were right, though Sam found her dazzling for a much different reason.

"I'm sorry," he apologized, trying to look contrite. "I, umm…" he trailed off, having no good reason for his inattention. At least none he was willing to admit.

"Well, as I was saying, if you want to expose any hidden monsters with your spell use this. The water inside is enchanted, it washes away any forms of concealment. If you use it with a locator spell you'll expose any monsters in the area, and if you add a binding spell it might prevent them from hiding again, though that's much more theoretical, so I can't promise anything."

"Great. Brilliant," he smiled, but then his face fell slightly. "How much?"

She bit her lip and turned the flask over in her hands several times as she studied it, then Sam, then the flask again. "I'm assuming, as a hunter, your finances are a bit tight and unpredictable?" she raised an eyebrow.

He deflated slightly. "Dealt with enough of us, have you?"

"I may have heard a sob story or two," she shot him a half smile.

Sam reached into his pocket for his wallet. He counted what he had, though he didn't really need to, he constantly knew. Right now it was $240 and two credit cards with two fake names that may or may not work. Dean might have another couple hundred, but the Impala was low on gas and they were too busy with a case to hustle more cash quite yet.

"How about this?" Hermione cut into his thoughts as she placed the flask down in front of him. She reached under the desk and came up with a pad of paper and a pen, and she started writing something, though Sam couldn't see what. "I like helping hunters, and I know how important what you do is."

Sam stared at her again, fighting the urge to let her make his brain go fuzzy once more. It was rare to hear someone say that in such an understanding tone, at best they got pity, usually it was a threat of arrest.

Hermione slid a paper across the table, and Sam's heart nearly stopped when he saw it was her phone number, a private one, not the shop one he already knew.

"How about we go to dinner after you're done with your case, and we'll call it even?" she smiled.

"I, um," he chuckled, taking the paper and stuffing it in his pocket. "I think that sounds great."

"Brilliant," she smiled.

"I'll see you soon, then," he smiled, starting to back out of the shop.

"Sam?" she called with a bemused look. Without saying anything else she held up the flask.

He chuckled, shaking his head and walking back to take it.

"I hope you're not this forgetful when it comes to our date," she smiled up at him.

Without a second thought he bent down, pressing his lips lightly to hers, and her smiled as she responded enthusiastically. He didn't let things get too far, he wasn't going to push his luck with this amazing woman. Instead he lingered just a moment before pulling away and muttering, "Not a chance."

"I'm going to hold you to that," she beamed up at him, and even her smile was enough to make his knees weak.

"I'll see you soon," he promised, giving her one more smile before exiting the shop. He started back towards the diner he left Dean at, trying to wipe the smile from his face, knowing his brother would never let him being so dazzled by a girl go without teasing, though Sam wouldn't be able to stop smiling for a while.


End file.
